Force detection apparatus and robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9816886-B2
Application number	US-201514887698-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2015
Priority date	Oct 21, 2014
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A force detection apparatus includes a first member, a second member, and a third member, the second member and the first member sandwich a plurality of piezoelectric elements (in a narrow sense, a first piezoelectric element and a second piezoelectric element), and the third member and the first member sandwich a plurality of piezoelectric elements (in a narrow sense, a third piezoelectric element and a fourth piezoelectric element) different from the plurality of piezoelectric elements sandwiched by the second member and the first member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A force detection apparatus comprising:
a single piece first member;
a single piece second member;
a single piece third member;
a first piezoelectric element positioned between the first member and the second member;
a second piezoelectric element located between the first member and the second member;
a third piezoelectric element positioned between the first member and the third member; and
a fourth piezoelectric element positioned between the first member and the third member,
wherein
the first piezoelectric element, the third piezoelectric element, the second piezoelectric element, and the fourth piezoelectric element are provided in a clockwise order on the first member when viewed from a direction orthogonal to a plane passing through the first, second, and third piezoelectric elements.

2. A robot comprising the force detection apparatus according to claim 1 .

3. The force detection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first member is configured with first, second, third, and fourth side surfaces, and the first and second side surfaces intersect the third and fourth side surfaces,
the second member has a first surface opposed to the first side surface of the first member and a second surface opposed to the second side surface of the first member,
the third member has a first surface opposed to the third side surface of the first member and a second surface opposed to the fourth side surface of the first member,
the first piezoelectric element is provided between the first surface of the second member and the first side surface of the first member,
the second piezoelectric element is provided between the second surface of the second member and the second side surface of the first member,
the third piezoelectric element is provided between the first surface of the third member and the third side surface of the first member, and
the fourth piezoelectric element is provided between the second surface of the third member and the fourth side surface of the first member.

4. A robot comprising the force detection apparatus according to claim 3 .

5. The force detection apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the second member has a third surface intersecting with the first surface and the second surface of the second member,
the third member has a third surface intersecting with the first surface and the second surface of the third member,
the third surface of the second member faces a lower surface of the first member, and
the third surface of the third member faces an upper surface of the first member.

6. A robot comprising the force detection apparatus according to claim 5 .

7. The force detection apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first piezoelectric element is attached to the first surface of the second member,
the second piezoelectric element is attached to the second surface of the second member,
the third piezoelectric element is attached to the first surface of the third member, and
the fourth piezoelectric element is attached to the second surface of the third member.

8. A robot comprising the force detection apparatus according to claim 7 .

9. The force detection apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first piezoelectric element is attached to the first side surface of the first member,
the second piezoelectric element is attached to the second side surface of the first member,
the third piezoelectric element is attached to the third side surface of the first member, and
the fourth piezoelectric element is attached to the fourth side surface of the first member.

10. A robot comprising the force detection apparatus according to claim 9 .

11. The force detection apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising a processing unit,
wherein a direction from the first side surface to the second side surface is defined as a first direction, and a direction from the third side surface to the fourth side surface is defined as a second direction, and
the processing unit is configured to obtain an external force in the first direction based on forces detected by the third piezoelectric element and the fourth piezoelectric element.

12. A robot comprising the force detection apparatus according to claim 11 .

13. The force detection apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein a direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction is defined as a third direction, and
the processing unit is configured to obtain an external force in the third direction based on forces detected by the first, second, third, and fourth piezoelectric elements.

14. A robot comprising the force detection apparatus according to claim 13 .

15. The force detection apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising a processing unit,
wherein a direction from the first side surface to the second side surface is defined as a first direction, and a direction from the third side surface to the fourth side surface is defined as a second direction, and
the processing unit is configured to obtain an external force in the second direction based on forces detected by the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element.

16. A robot comprising the force detection apparatus according to claim 15 .

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Inazumi Mitsuhiro

Classifications

• G01L5/167 Primary

  using piezoelectric means · CPC title

• G01L1/16

  using properties of piezoelectric devices · CPC title

• G01L5/226

  to manipulators, e.g. the force due to gripping · CPC title